Philippe Avril

Biography

Born 1954 in Paris. Nationality: French Mathematics and physics studies. Former engineer and scientific researcher. Graduated EAVE-Europe in 1992. Positions: - General Manager (Les Films de l’Etranger) - Professional Partner, Master International Co-production (Strasbourg University) From 1974 to 1981, Philippe Avril worked as a journalist and cinema critic. He shot and produced a first full-length film in 1979. In 1989 he founded in Strasbourg a first production film company (\'Les Films De L\'Observatoire\') mainly developing creative documentaries and soon focused on international co-productions (documentaries, feature films) for cinema and television and based in Strasbourg and Paris (France). From 2002 to 2014, Philippe Avril was co-producing internationally arthouse films from Strasbourg and Paris through two independent companies: ‘Unlimited’ and ’Les Films De L’Etranger’ discovering new talents. He is currently managing ‘Les Films De l’Etranger’ and developing a new company for digital interactive medias. Lecturing at the Marc Bloch University (Strasbourg) from 2001 to 2009, intervening regularly in international workshops and training courses in France and Europe, Philippe Avril has been the French national co-ordinator of the Media Programme EAVE (European Audio-Visual Entrepreneurs) from 1997 to 2011. He is currently the professional partner of the Strasbourg University Master entitled: ‘International Co-Production of Audio-Visual and Cinema Works’. Philippe Avril’s early international co-productions were with Central and Eastern European filmmakers: Dusan Hának (Paper Heads, 1994, Slovakia), Petr Václav (Marian, 1996, Czech Republic), Valdas Navasaitis (Kiemas 1999, Lithuania), Bakhtyiar Khudojnazarov (Luna Papa, 1999, Tajikistan). From the 2000’s, it was with Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days, 2007, Romania), Razvan Radulescu / Melissa de Raff (First of All Felicia, 2010, Romania) and Adina Pintilie (Touch Me Not, 2018, Berlinale Golden Bear). Since 1997, he explored co-productions with Asian filmmakers: Park Kwang-su (The Uprising, 1997, South-Korea), Aoyama Shinji (Eureka, 2000, Japan), Garin Nugroho (A Poet, 2001, Indonesia), Sabiha Sumar (Khamosh Pani/Silent Waters, 2003, Pakistan), Vimukthi Jayasundara (The Forsaken Land, 2005, Sri Lanka, Between Two Worlds, 2009, Sri Lanka, Chatrak [Mushrooms], 2011, India), Murali Nair (Virgin Goat, 2010, India), Wang Bing (The Ditch, 2010, China), Pepe Diokno (Above The Clouds, 2014, Philippines), Katsuya Tomita (Bangkok Nites, 2016) and Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Manta Ray, 2018) In the 2000’s, he co-produced also Middle-East and African filmmakers: Monika Borgmann & Lokman Slim (Massaker, 2005, Tadmor 2016, Lebanon), Haile Gerima (Teza, 2008, Ethiopia), Malek Bensmaïl (China is Still Far, 2009, Algeria), Licinio Azevedo (The Train of Salt and Sugar, 2017, Mozambique). French and European co-productions include on the other hand: Juventude em Marcha (Colossal Youth), by Pedro Costa (Portugal, 2006), La Fine del Mare, by Nora Hoppe (Germany, 2006)), Welcome to Bataville, by François Caillat (France, 2007), The Day Will Come, by Susanne Schneider (Germany, 2009), The End of Silence, by Roland Edzard (France, 2011), The Fifth Season, by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth (Belgium, 2012), Left Foot Right Foot, by Germinal Roaux (Switzerland, 2013) and Between 10 and 12, by Peter Hoogendoorn (The Netherlands, 2014).